"According to the effect of Berry Magician Girl, I can negate the effects of a Spellcaster-Type monster and perform a special summon from my hand!" Youyu slammed the card onto the Duel Disc, "Come forth! The greatest disciple of the Dark Magician, the strongest magician girl wielding the power of black magic—
—Dark Magician Girl!"
[Dark Magician Girl, Attack 2000]
Realizing that she was the center of attention today, Dark Magician Girl's face was more tense than usual. She tightly gripped her little magic staff, her eyes unblinking.
Even the enthusiastic crowd around her, cheering and waving excitedly, couldn't distract her to respond.
[Dark Magician Girl, Attack 2000]
"Then, due to Berry Magician Girl's effect, Valkyrie Vierte must forcibly attack Dark Magician Girl," Youyu continued, "and her attack power will be halved!"
[Valkyrie Vierte, Attack 1400 → Attack 700]
Valkyrie Vierte, whose battle power was already inferior to Dark Magician Girl, was even less of a match after being debuffed by the Berry Girl's magic.
The Valkyrie Warrior struggled to swing her sword, but the Dark Magician Girl easily deflected it with a casual wave of her staff. The magic girl then countered with a blast of magic power, with swirling energy and black lightning directly hitting the Valkyrie's body. The latter was immediately blasted into pieces in mid-air.
[Jie Ke, LP 2700 → LP 1400]
"Ugh..."
Jie Ke gritted his teeth, raising his hand to shield himself. His long flamboyant pink hair was wildly tossing under the impact of the holographic explosion.
...Completely suppressed.
Even though it seemed like he had been on the offensive, with Youyu merely defending, the pace was entirely under his opponent's control.
Jie Ke, who rarely lost a duel, felt unprecedentedly powerless.
"I see, so this is the power of the Duel King...?"
Jie Ke's gaze sharpened, letting out a cold hum.
"Interesting, it looks like I'll have to get more serious than usual." He revealed the card that had just been defeated, "Valkyrie Vierte's effect activates!
When this card is sent to the graveyard after being destroyed in battle, you can special summon a 'Valkyrie' from your deck!"
He quickly selected the card he was looking for from his deck, then smirked, "Here's my ultimate ace that no one has yet seen, the most powerful Valkyrie!
Come forth, the goddess of wisdom, Valkyrie Erda!"
Valkyrie Vierte's exit set the stage for a more powerful goddess to appear.
An aurora manifested in midair, and it truly seemed like a goddess was descending from beyond the heavens. A snow-white horse trotted on air, carrying a female warrior in red armor, her cloak billowing in the shimmering aurora.
[Valkyrie Erda, Attack 2000]
Level 8 Valkyrie, her arrival with such presence and power was drastically different from other Valkyries.
If others were warriors until now, she was likely a commander.
"So this is your ace card?" Youyu asked.
"That's right, she's also the strongest Valkyrie to bring victory to me," Jie Ke smiled, "Valkyrie Erda's effect activates!
This card, special summoned by the effect of a 'Valkyrie' card, lowers the attack of all your opponent's monsters by 1000 points as long as she is present on the field!"
Erda rode the horse, sweeping her sword. Her queen-like aura rolled across the battlefield, exerting immense pressure on the magical girls on Youyu's field.
[Berry Magician Girl, Attack 1200 → Attack 200]
[Dark Magician Girl, Attack 2000 → Attack 1000]
[Kiwi Magician Girl, Attack 1800 → Attack 800]
[Chocolate Magician Girl, Attack 1600 → Attack 600]
The onlookers gasped again.
"All monsters' attacks reduced by 1000... doesn't that essentially mean she has an attack of 3000?"
"Hiss~ Blue-Eyes White Dragon..."
"The Battle Phase continues." Jie Ke smiled, looking at Dark Magician Girl, "It seems this magical little girl is the ace of your deck. Then let's start with her.
Valkyrie Erda, attack Dark Magician Girl!"
Erda let out a clear cry, charging ahead with her valiant steed. She dashed straight toward the girl; her sword blade traced a silver arc, aimed right at the girl's fair neck!
Dark Magician Girl bit her thin lips, raising her staff to guard her chest, but with her power reduced, she felt utterly helpless.
Such a shame, finally getting to fight alongside the master, but before I could even find my footing, my part was over...
The sharp blade swung down, and with a flash of sword light, the girl's figure instantly vanished.
Jie Ke revealed a smug smile: "Dark Magician Girl, defeated."
But then he realized something was off.
Not only Youyu's Life Points remained untouched, but from the spot where the girl vanished, appeared...
...two pigeons!?
Erda couldn't even hit the body of the Dark Magician Girl.
What her sword cleaved was a suddenly appeared black magic hat. As the hat was split in two, two pigeons flew out of nowhere, fluttering their wings and cooing, as if saying "No update today"...
It felt just like performing magic.
"Quick-Play Magic - Magic Peace Dove," Youyu said, "This is a dedicated spell for the Dark Magician Girl. Return 'Dark Magician Girl' from the field to the hand and Special Summon two 'Peace Dove Tokens' on the field.
At the end of the turn, the Peace Dove Tokens are destroyed, and the Dark Magician Girl returns to the field."
[Peace Dove Token, DEF 0] x2
The Dark Magician Girl returned to the hand, floating in ghostly form beside Youyu, patting her chest: "Phew... That was close, I thought it was over..."
Youyu chuckled softly: "You're my ace card, how could I let you exit so easily?"
The Dark Magician Girl blushed: "Master..."
She always thought she was clumsy, and with not much attack power as a Duel Monster, she seldom helped the master much in duels.
But now, the master said her, of all people, was an ace!
Moved, she tightened her grip on her magic staff, making up her mind.
I must not disappoint the master!
"Hmph, foolish," Jie Ke shrugged, "Now Battle Recall, I'm going to change the attack target. Erda, attack Apple Magician Girl!"
The Valkyrie adjusted her direction, locking onto the red magic girl and charged. The sharp blade easily broke through the girl's defense, and with a low hum, she left the field.
[Youyu, LP 4000 →LP 2200]
"Hmph, even if it's that troublesome Magician Girl, her defensive effect can only be used once per turn," Jie Ke sneered, "And then there's another effect of 'Valkyrie Erda.'
As long as Erda is on the field, cards destroyed by battle or effect do not go to the Graveyard but are removed from play instead!"
The freshly entered "Apple Magician Girl" was promptly ejected from the Duel Disc. Youyu silently took the card, placing it into the card box behind him.
"And now the Valkyrie Erste!" Jie Ke continued commanding, "Attack Kiwi Magician Girl!"
As soon as the words fell, the eldest of the Valkyries had already charged on horseback toward this Magician Girl.
Though Kiwi originally had more power than the opponent, she couldn't utilize her abilities under Erda's full-field effect suppression, and after barely putting up a defense, her magic array shattered, sending her flying backward.
Kiwi Girl's body broke apart in mid-air, scattering into countless twinkling blue lights, dissipating into the air.
[Youyu, LP 2200 →LP 1400]
"Now my Battle Phase has ended," Jie Ke stated, "But my turn isn't over. I'm going to activate 'Valkyrie Erste's' effect!
Once per turn, a Monster from your Graveyard can be removed from play, and then Erste's attack will become the same value as the removed Monster.
I remove your 'Berry Magician Girl' from play!"
Gold light shone in the Graveyard of Youyu's Duel Disc, the image of the Berry Girl emerged out of nowhere. The Valkyrie Warrior swung her sword across the air, and the girl disintegrated into illusory gold light.
[Valkyrie Erste, ATK 1600 →ATK 400]
"Like this, your Magician Girls in the Graveyard have been cleared away," Jie Ke chuckled, "Setting two cards face-down, my turn ends.
And at the End Phase, due to the effect of the Magic Card 'Valkyrie's Ride,' the Monsters Special Summoned will all return to my Card Deck." (animation effect)
The Valkyrie's eldest and second girl on the field transformed into gold light and shot into his Card Deck, leaving only Erda, Special Summoned by the effect of 'Valkyrie Vierte,' staying on the field.
Jie Ke retrieved two cards, reshuffled his deck, and placed it back into the Duel Disc.
Meanwhile, the two pigeons on Youyu's field cooed twice, bursting into white smoke. As the smoke cleared, the Dark Magician Girl returned to the field.
[Dark Magician Girl, ATK 2000 →ATK 1000]
"Hmph, relying on a magic girl who only sells cuteness won't win against my Valkyrie," Jie Ke scoffed with hands on his hips, "How about it, does this make you take it more seriously, Duel King?"